sudafed nightmares

[Zodionic]

I've been taking sudafed for a few days for a chesty caugh and I have been having vivid scary nightmares where I've been kidnapped by terrorists and attacked at random in my dreams, turning them into a nightmare, I decided to read the sudafed leaflet and it states "May cause bad dreams and hallucinations" Usually when I have nightmares they are not really scary, or scary in the sense watching a horror movie is scary, but these dreams seem like its really happening to me. Nightmares are usually rare for me, and I can usually become lucid or wake myself up when I do have them, but I'm trapped in these dreams. so has anyone had any other dream effects with medication or experienced anything like this?

[Abra]

Did you read that before the nightmare, or after? Sometimes, reading the leaflet itself may have more of an effect than the medication. If possible, change medicines. If you want the mucus out of your chest, try mucinex. I'm not one for medications (sudafed really screws up my sinuses, but has never given me nightmares), but mucinex seems to help me cough it all up.

[Zodionic]

It was after i had the first nightmare, but it seemed to get worse after that so maybe your right.

[punkstar]

if sudafed has DXM at all in it (dextromethorphan HBr or dextromethorphan polisterex) then the only reason it has that warning on it is because it is a hallucinogin at higher doses. its most likely not the sudafed causing the nightmares. they prolly just re-occured because u read that warning and self-suggestion is a big part of dreaming. but i mean just change meds just to be safe. haha there's plenty of stuff out there just like sudafed...

[Misbijoux]

I've never seen that warning. Which sudafed did you take? I take the one for sinus cold, and have yet to experience nightmares. But, I guess, I never really thought about it.

[HWookiee]

I took the allergy one last night. I have nightmares occasionally, but nothing too bad since I was a kid. I had a short nightmare as I was falling asleep for the first time, and then when I was in a more deep sleep, I had a dream so vivid that I could feel someone holding my ankles even after I woke up. I was terrified. I did not know about the drug warning before I took it.

[FinanceLady]

I have been taking the Sudafed Red Tablets for about a month now -- just every few days I will take a dose to keep allergies at bay. I find when I sleep I have extreme nightmares. So intense, that when I wake up my heart is beating fast. The nightmares are intense to go through, but more importantly I worry now that I will have a heart attack while sleeping. There must be something in these pills that are not being properly announced as a warning to us. I have tried the pills with food and at different times of the day. It doesn't matter if I take an afternoon nap or if it is at night ... if I have taken one of these red pills I will have very intense nightmares.

[Neckername]

I also just started taking sudafed in the morning. I take two pills and then after a few days, at night I would find it hard to sleep, then once I do the nightmares begin. I usually can control what I dream about and what happens, and sometimes even predict what will happen if I cannot control the dream fully. However, I have lost all of that and now am having nightmares. But each nightmare is like me in my own home. My mom told me that I was standing over her at 3am telling her that people were trying to get in the house. I did not remember being up but I do remember dreaming that people were trying to get in the house, it seemed so real until i woke up.

[Neckername]

also the half life of pseudoephedrine is 9-16 hours. So it takes 18-32 hours to get out of your system depending on how quickly your body breaks it down and absorbs the dose. Also, depends on how many pills you take, along with the mg dosage per pill. It has been reported that Sudafed side affects and symptoms can be prevalent up to a week after being 100% of the pseudoephedrine dosage. It is unknown what the permanent/long term effects are.

[CrimpJiggler]

What are the active ingredients in it? Plain non drowsy sudafed for nasal decongestion has pseudoephedrine in it but the drowsy version also has an antihistamine (probably triprolidine). I've never experienced nightmares from ephedrine or antihistamines. Opioids on the other hand give me horrible nightmares. Are you taking any opioids by any chance?

[Puffin]

There are quite a few medications associated with nightmares and disturbing dreams, so given the fact that they started once you went on it, there's no doubt in my mind that the sudafed is the culprit. However, I'm unsure how the medicine causes the nightmares in the first place.